Chattogram projects target ending waterlogging by 2027

Authorities overseeing four infrastructure initiatives in Chattogram expect to eliminate the port city’s chronic flooding problem within two years after reporting nearly 88 percent completion of development schemes valued at 14,400 crore taka. Heavy rainfall affected only 29 locations during the recent monsoon season, with drainage occurring within two to four hours compared to 113 flooded areas requiring eight to nine hours for water removal between 2017 and 2023.

The supervisory panel, headed by divisional commissioner Ziauddin, anticipates just 10 sites will experience temporary flooding next year before achieving full resolution. Twenty-one of 36 canals have been finished, while another 10 approach 90 percent completion under projects managed by Chattogram Development Authority, city corporation officials, and Bangladesh Water Development Board through army engineers.

Committee members identified unplanned development reducing water bodies from 4,661 to 2,390 as a primary cause, alongside encroachment on drainage channels and inadequate waste management capacity, requiring coordination improvements for sustainable outcomes.